Apr 9, 2017, 19:56
Hello Everyone,
Incase anyone has interest in shooting weddings I thought I would do a post about how I got my start in wedding photography.
A few years ago is when I decided to make the plunge into wedding photography. Weddings are a great source of higher income for photographers and once you get established you will have multiple shoots booked throughout the year.
When I first started out I had zero wedding images in my portfolio. I didn't feel it was necessary to shoot weddings for free since they are a lot of work. My first plan of action was to find a photography Website. I wanted to be able to offer an easy and professional platform to deliver images to my clients. I found a site called photodeck.com. It's a great platform to show your work, distribute your images to clients and it provides labs for printing orders directly from the site. You can set your own prices for image downloads and mark up for prints.
After I had my Website chosen I began loading my best images into my portfolio on the site. Once this was done I began looking for a quick way to market my work. I used Craigslist to promote myself as a wedding photographer who approached weddings as photojournalist. I did a little research before hand and found that was something clients were interested in for wedding photos. Less posed and more candid.
I knew clients on this site would be looking to pay lower prices for a wedding photographer but since I had never shot weddings before I knew it was better than nothing. I marketed my skills as a photojournalist and landed an interview with my soon to be first clients. After meeting for a drink it was done deal. Part of being a photographer is selling yourself. If you don't have people skills, then fake it. Speak to your clients as you would a girl or boy you met for the fist time you were interested in dating. You have to convince them why you are the best photographer for one of their most special days.
My sales pitch was since I had experience as a photojournalist in the military I had lots of practice anticipating moments. I know not everyone was a photographer in the military but it's about selling whatever your strength as a photographer is and why it's beneficial to the client. Also if you include the engagement shoot for free as part of your wedding package it will set you apart from the competition.
A tip I will leave you with: If you have no practice posing people look up poses in Google Images. Pick a few you like and practice with family and friends. Also ask the client do they have any requests for poses. Usually the bride and groom will have some poses in mind they want. I will post another a thread soon about how to shoot the wedding and what equipment you will need for your first gig. In the mean time here are a few images from the first wedding I shot.
Chris
Incase anyone has interest in shooting weddings I thought I would do a post about how I got my start in wedding photography.
A few years ago is when I decided to make the plunge into wedding photography. Weddings are a great source of higher income for photographers and once you get established you will have multiple shoots booked throughout the year.
When I first started out I had zero wedding images in my portfolio. I didn't feel it was necessary to shoot weddings for free since they are a lot of work. My first plan of action was to find a photography Website. I wanted to be able to offer an easy and professional platform to deliver images to my clients. I found a site called photodeck.com. It's a great platform to show your work, distribute your images to clients and it provides labs for printing orders directly from the site. You can set your own prices for image downloads and mark up for prints.
After I had my Website chosen I began loading my best images into my portfolio on the site. Once this was done I began looking for a quick way to market my work. I used Craigslist to promote myself as a wedding photographer who approached weddings as photojournalist. I did a little research before hand and found that was something clients were interested in for wedding photos. Less posed and more candid.
I knew clients on this site would be looking to pay lower prices for a wedding photographer but since I had never shot weddings before I knew it was better than nothing. I marketed my skills as a photojournalist and landed an interview with my soon to be first clients. After meeting for a drink it was done deal. Part of being a photographer is selling yourself. If you don't have people skills, then fake it. Speak to your clients as you would a girl or boy you met for the fist time you were interested in dating. You have to convince them why you are the best photographer for one of their most special days.
My sales pitch was since I had experience as a photojournalist in the military I had lots of practice anticipating moments. I know not everyone was a photographer in the military but it's about selling whatever your strength as a photographer is and why it's beneficial to the client. Also if you include the engagement shoot for free as part of your wedding package it will set you apart from the competition.
A tip I will leave you with: If you have no practice posing people look up poses in Google Images. Pick a few you like and practice with family and friends. Also ask the client do they have any requests for poses. Usually the bride and groom will have some poses in mind they want. I will post another a thread soon about how to shoot the wedding and what equipment you will need for your first gig. In the mean time here are a few images from the first wedding I shot.
Chris